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CHILD DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF CENTRAL NEW YORK INC
ITHACA, NY · EIN 160918618 · Form 990 · FY2025 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · childdevelopmentcouncil.org
revenue
$2.1M
expenses
$2.3M
net assets
$1.9M
employees
29
volunteers
12
program ratio
92%
mission · from form 990

PROMOTE THE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES AT HOME, IN CHILDCARE & IN THE COMMUNITY.

profile · synthesized from sources

Child Development Council of Central New York promotes the healthy development of children and families through direct services in Tompkins and Cortland Counties. The organization supports child care providers with funding, training, and technical assistance, while offering families parenting support, child care referrals, emergency scholarships, and access to public assistance programs. It administers state and federal child care initiatives and has operated since 1967.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $433K
    CUSTODIAL: DISTRIBUTION OF REVENUES THAT PASS THROUGH FOR USDA, NYS START-UP GRANTS, COMMUNITY CHILD CARE SUPPLY GROWTH INITIATIVE, AND SCHOLARSHIPS. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR EMERGENCY CHILDCARE.
  2. #2 $528K
    FAMILY SERVICES PROGRAM: THIS INCLUDES FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES. PARENTS OF INFANTS AND CHILDREN THROUGH THE AGE OF 5 RECEIVE PARENTING INFORMATION, ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT THROUGH A HOME VISITING PROGRAM. CHILD DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION IS TAUGHT USING HANDS ON DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES:FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES = $528,336
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Child Care Emergency Scholarship Fund
Provides short-term financial assistance to families experiencing emergencies so they can continue paying for child care; funds are paid directly to providers.
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
Sponsors USDA’s CACFP in Tompkins County, reimbursing child care providers for meals that meet federal nutrition standards.
Community Child Care Supply Growth Initiative
Provides financial grants and technical assistance to new and existing child care providers in Tompkins County to support start-up and expansion costs, including licensing, equipment, and renovations.
Family Support Services
Offers free, confidential home visiting services for parents of children up to age 5, including parenting education, developmental assessments, goal setting, and referrals to community resources.
Warm Line
Free, confidential phone service offering guidance to parents and child care providers on child development, behavior, and adjustment to care.
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • Subsidized Child Care Services 2 activities
    • Administers emergency child care scholarships for families experiencing financial hardship
      Provides short-term financial assistance through emergency child care scholarships to help families cover child care costs during periods of financial hardship. Distributes funds on behalf of state and federal programs, including NYS start-up grants and emergency childcare scholarship initiatives.
    • Supports access to safe and affordable child care
      Assists families in finding child care through a provider database and offers support with enrollment, subsidy program registration, and provider applications. Also provides information on child care options and helps families access stable housing, education, and employment opportunities.
  • Municipal and Community General Support 1 activity
    • Administers grant funding for child care program start-up and expansion
      Allocates $300,000 annually for up to five years to support the start-up and expansion of child care programs in Tompkins County through a dedicated grant initiative.
  • Diaper and Baby Supply Distribution 1 activity
    • Distributes essential children’s equipment to families in need
      Provides children’s equipment to families to support child development and family well-being.
  • Child Care and Early Childhood Policy Advocacy 1 activity
    • Engages in advocacy to improve child care quality and family support
      Conducts advocacy efforts focused on children and families, including legislative engagement and community education, to improve child care quality and promote community involvement.
  • Child & Youth Meal Programs 1 activity
    • Facilitates access to free summer meals for youth
      Organizes and supports summer meal programs for youth aged 18 and under across multiple school districts, ensuring access to nutritious meals during school breaks.
  • 24/7 Crisis and Warmline Support Services 1 activity
    • Operates a free, confidential telephone guidance service for parents and child care providers
      Provides a warm line offering telephone consultations with Child Development Specialists on child development, behavior, discipline, and childcare adjustment. The service is free, confidential, and anonymous, serving families and providers in Central New York.
  • Perinatal Support Services 1 activity
    • Provides family support services including home visiting and parenting support
      Offers one-on-one parenting support, home visits, and developmental assessments for children from birth to age 5, along with community referrals and guidance to families in Tompkins and Cortland Counties. Services include hands-on, developmentally appropriate activities to support child development and family stability.
  • Child Care Provider Support Services 1 activity
    • Provides individualized business coaching to child care providers
      Offers ongoing business coaching and guidance to child care providers to support program sustainability, quality improvement, and long-term success, including assistance with start-up and expansion.
  • CACFP Meal Service and Administration 1 activity
    • Sponsors the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
      Administers the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in Tompkins County, promoting healthy eating by reimbursing food expenses for child care providers who follow federal nutrition guidelines.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$2.06M
Contributions & grants$1.53M74%
Program service revenue$373K18%
Investment income$158K8%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$2.26M
Program expenses92%
Admin / overhead7%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$1.48M
Grants paid out$324K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.41M
Cash$1.28M
Investments$583K
Liabilities$496K
Net assets$1.92M
Liquid reserves9.9 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -18.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MELISSA PERRY CEO 35 $110K
board members · 12
  • BRIAN ROZEWSKI — SECRETARY
  • CHAU PHAM — VICE CHAIR
  • DAVID RUTHERFORD — TRUSTEE
  • JESSICA CUSTER-BINDEL — TRUSTEE
  • JOHN BAUDA — TREASURER
  • KYLE PAGE-ROBINSON — TRUSTEE
  • LUCINDA NOBLE — TRUSTEE (PART YEAR)
  • NANCY POTTER — TRUSTEE
  • PATRICIA WILLIAMS — TRUSTEE (PART YEAR)
  • PENNY GIVIN — TRUSTEE
  • STEPHANIE FRITZ — CHAIR
  • THOMAS EVANS — TRUSTEE
relationships · 18

Who they work with

  • Child Development Council of Central New York, Inc. Network — Member of its own organizational network under the name Child Development Council
  • Cornell University Funder — Provided a $1.86 million investment to fund the Community Child Care Supply Growth Initiative in Tompkins County.
  • Cortland County Department of Social Services Partner — Collaborates with the Child Development Council to process child care assistance applications and determine eligibility for subsidies.
  • Dryden School District Partner — Collaborates to provide free summer meals for youth.
  • Groton School District Partner — Collaborates to provide free summer meals for youth.
  • Ithaca School District Partner — Collaborates to provide free summer meals for youth.
  • Lansing School District Partner — Collaborates to provide free summer meals for youth.
  • NAEYC Partner — Supports child care providers in obtaining NAEYC Accreditation.
  • New York State Government — Distributes state-level revenues from NYS start-up grants and other childcare initiatives.
  • New York State Office of Children and Family Services Government — Administers the Child Care Assistance Program referenced as the application pathway for subsidy eligibility.
  • Not specified Partner — Refers families to community agencies for additional support services.
  • Office of Children and Family Services Government — Provides training resources and program guidance for the Child Care Assistance Program.
  • QUALITYstarsNY Partner — Supports child care providers in obtaining a QUALITYstarsNY rating.
  • Tompkins County Department of Social Services Partner — Collaborates with the Child Development Council to process child care assistance applications and determine eligibility for subsidies.
  • Trumansburg School District Partner — Collaborates to provide free summer meals for youth.
  • USDA Government — Distributes federal revenues from USDA as part of custodial funding programs.
  • USDA Government — Sponsors the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in partnership with the USDA.
  • local parents and caregivers Partner — Collaborates with local parents and caregivers in community events.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Home Visiting for Parenting Support
    methodology: home_visiting
    By delivering parenting education and child development support directly in homes through hands-on, developmentally appropriate activities, we improve child outcomes because it allows for personalized, context-specific engagement that builds trust and supports real-time learning in the child's natural environment.
  • Integrated Financial and Technical Assistance for Provider Sustainability
    methodology: integrated_support_model
    By combining financial grants with hands-on technical assistance, we promote sustainable child care program development because financial support alone is insufficient—programs need ongoing guidance to implement quality improvements and operational best practices.
  • Parent as First Teacher with Early Intervention
    methodology: parent_as_first_teacher
    By positioning parents as their child’s first teacher and providing early support to caregivers, we prevent developmental challenges from escalating because early, relationship-based interventions lay foundational cognitive, emotional, and social skills during critical windows of development.
  • Strengths-Based Family Engagement
    methodology: strengths_based_family_support
    By supporting families through a strengths-based, nonjudgmental approach that emphasizes parental capacity and resilience, we improve child and family outcomes because it fosters empowerment, reduces stigma, and increases engagement with services.